


There's room for one more

by CaptainCrusher



Category: Star Trek, Star Trek: Voyager
Genre: Feel-good, Friendship
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-04-28
Updated: 2016-04-28
Packaged: 2018-06-05 01:13:29
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,230
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6683485
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/CaptainCrusher/pseuds/CaptainCrusher
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>I wrote this to combat anger over Seven's sexist "quest for humanity" arc. The story starts at the point where Seven is about to choose a date, as it appeared in "Someone to watch over me". It is about love, friendship and how we are all valuable.</p>
            </blockquote>





	There's room for one more

\- So, who’s the lucky fellow?  
The Doctor’s cheery voice brought Seven back to reality. She realized she was holding on to the computer panel so hard her hand had started to hurt. She loosened her grip and looked up again, at the names. The Doctor stood beside her now, smiling approvingly as she let another somewhat familiar face disappear and another one, also somewhat familiar, took its place.  
\- I feel myself being unable to chose, Seven said.  
\- How about ensign Lathan?  
The Doctor moved his hand over the panel and ensign Lathan’s face graced the screen. Strong jaw, brown eyes, suitable. Seven looked at Lathan’s silent face and saw how the night would progress. She already felt… anxious. Nervous. Almost afraid. She remembered how Chapman had looked at her. Like she was different. She had felt like she was singled out in a crowd, when she once took comfort in being one of billions. The feeling reminded her of when she was first disconnected from the Collective. That overwhelming sense of being exposed, alone.  
\- Seven?  
The Doctors smile had weakened. His forehead wrinkled. Concerned. He was concerned.  
\- No, she said abruptly and let Lathan’s face disappear.  
\- Maybe this was one step too far. I have been pushing you quite hard about these social lessons lately. Are you not feeling well?  
At first she didn’t answer. She looked down at her hands. Assimilation tubes wrapped in pink skin. If she held her hand on her arm she could feel the exposed metal. She was not one or the other. Both and nothing. She looked up at The Doctor’s face. Worry. Concern. She remembered how happy he was to help her. To let her explore this side of being a human.  
\- You are correct, she said. I don’t feel well.  
\- Let’s go to Sickbay, The Doctor said as he immediately slipped into his own most comfortable computer pathways. I’ll give you a checkup.  
Seven nodded and followed him out of astrometrics. As she looked back at the list of names on the screen, she felt… relief. It was relief, that she didn’t have to make that choice. But was it not human to want companionship, to find a mate? Was it the borg part of her that resisted?  
\- Are you coming, Seven?  
The Doctor waited further down the hall. Seven let the door close behind her and followed him. The corridor was empty. Voyager was blissfully quiet at this time of night. If there’s ever such a thing as nights in space. The Doctor talked, but she didn’t really listen. She wanted to ask him so many questions. About what she should want. Then he smiled at her.  
\- We’ll get this taken care of, I’m sure there’s just some implants that are misaligned. You missed your last appointment, you know.  
They stepped into the turbolift.  
\- I am sorry, Doctor.  
The Doctor looked at her. He must have read something in her face that she couldn’t hide. He told the turbolift to stop and then carefully put his hand on Seven’s shoulder.  
\- Don’t be sorry, Seven, just tell me what is really wrong.  
Seven took a deep breath. The Doctor looked intently at her.  
\- What does it really mean to be human? She asked.  
\- That is a big question, Seven.  
\- Previously, in Astrometics. I felt… anxiety, at the prospect of another date similar to that of my evening with lieutenant Chapman.  
\- That is only natural. I myself have been known to feel both anxiety and fear. And I was programmed by humans.  
He nodded and shrugged, as to say ”Unfortunately”. But somehow, his reassurance didn’t make her feel better. The Doctor seemed to sense that she wasn’t satisfied with that answer.  
\- You don’t want to do these social lessons anymore, he guessed. Oh, Seven why didn’t you just…  
\- I do want to explore my humanity, Doctor, she interrupted him. Learn to be more human.  
The Doctor didn’t say anything at first. He lowered his brows, obviously deep in thinking. Then he seemed to get an idea.  
\- Resume. Holodeck 2, he said to the turbolift.  
The turbolift resumed. In a minute they stood outside the doors on the second holodeck. The Doctor refused to say what he was doing, as he was pushing buttons on the panel outside. After awhile, he stopped.  
\- There, he said. Step in.  
The doors opened. Seven stepped in. It seemed at first like there was nothing there. Just darkness. Then lights started to flicker around her. Tiny orbs appeared and started circling around the lights. Thousands of them, all around her, as far as she could see. Seven objectively knew that there was a wall close to her, but it felt like she had just stepped into a miniature version of the galaxy. The Doctor came up and stood by her side.  
\- It came out even better than I expected, he said, obviously pleased.  
\- It is… beautiful, Seven said.  
She stretched out her fingers and touched one of the tiny planets, circling binary stars. It was solid under her fingertips. She could pluck it out of its orbit and hold the ball of matter in her hand. She could see mountain tops and tiny, flowing rivers. Carefully she put it back into the air. The orb quickly flew away to resume its place in its solar system.  
\- What was the purpose of this, Doctor? She asked, turning to her friend and mentor.  
\- You see this, said the Doctor and made a gesture towards everything around them. It is the galaxy. Sort of. A version of it. You see all these planets.  
\- I see them, Seven confirmed.  
\- A lot of them have people on it. There’s humans, bolians, klingons, space living whales, andorians and beings that live on helium. Look here.  
He walked across about 5 solar systems and pointed towards another small planet, riddled with snow covered peaks.  
\- There’s beings here made out of crystals. Crystals!  
\- Species 5292.  
\- Yes, well, yeah. But anyway, the Federation has had good diplomatic connections with them for years. They might even be accepted into the Federation one day.  
Seven was confused. So far, this seemed to be another one of the Doctor’s long winded talks that didn’t lead anywhere and didn’t include any useful information. She had discussed what humanity was and here he was talking about crystalaians.  
\- The point is, Seven…  
The Doctor crossed the galaxy, passing through the planets and solar system. Moving straight through the purple shroud that was a nebula, the size of his hand. He stood before her, smiling softly but with serious intent.  
\- The point is, that if there’s room in the galaxy for bolians, chicken soup and crystal aliens – there’s room for one former borg drone. Whoever she is. However she is. Whether she wants to go on some dates or not. That doesn’t say anything about her humanity or her worth.  
Seven hadn’t experienced being lost for words before. It was a strange sensation. She opened her mouth and no words came out. She looked around. At the diverse infinity of the galaxy surrounding her. That existed both in here but also out there, outside the walls of the ship that had become her home. The endless space, filled with chicken soup, bolians and someone that was both borg and human. Somehow she finally found the words that expressed her feelings.  
\- Thank you, she said.


End file.
